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Sunday, December 7, 2008

Banana Cream Pie

I am assuming that most people have bananas on hand the majority of the time. If that hasty generalization is correct, than this pie is a snap to put together with little or no shopping involved!. The ingredients are common, the instructions are easy. If you use a store bought graham cracker crust, this is a no bake dessert that is great in the summer because you don't have to turn on the oven!

I only have one child that shares my dislike for bananas. The rest of my family adores them in any form. The custard for this pie is one that I use in many forms: pies, trifles, fillings for pastries. It is one of my favorites. The microwave makes it super simple, too.

Mix sugar, salt and flour together in a large microwavable bowl. I use an 8 cup batter bowl. Stir in the evaporated milk. Microwave until thick, stirring every 2 minutes to prevent unsightly lumps. This time will vary with microwave. When mixture has reached a good thick state, add a few tablespoons to your beaten egg to temper the egg. This prevents the egg from cooking before it is thoroughly incorporated in the pudding. Scrambled eggs just don't go in pie. Add the now warmed eggs to your big bowl and microwave another minute or two. Stir. If mixture is really thick, it's done. Otherwise, return to the microwave and cook for another few minutes. Remove from microwave, add vanilla and rum extracts, cool.
Slice 2 bananas into the bottom of your baked pie shell. Add the other 2 sliced bananas to your pudding. Pour into pie. Chill. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Use up within 48 hours as the bananas will not retain their initial sliced glory after that time frame. Happy to be at Home is hosting a recipe swap today if you'd like to find more yummy ideas.